Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs are powering ASUS's latest ProArt, Zenbook & VivoBook lines of laptops in 2026.
ASUS Rolls Out Next-Gen Zenbook, ProArt, VivoBook 2026 Laptops Equipped With Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs, Up To 18 Cores
In addition to its Intel and AMD lineups, ASUS is also introducing several laptops in 2026 that will utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs. These chips feature up to 18 cores with up to 5.00 GHz clocks, up to 53 MB of cache, an updated Adreno X2 GPU, and 80 TOPS of NPU compute. These chips will be used in ASUS's new ProArt, ZenBook, and VivoBook families.
ASUS ZenBook A16 Qualcomm 2026
Utilizing the Ceraluminum design language, the ASUS ZenBook A16 2026 lineup will feature Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme CPUs with up to 18 cores, 18 threads, 80 TOPS NPU, the latest Adreno X2 GPU, and 48 GB of onboard LPDDR5x memory with speeds of up to 9600 MT/s. Storage includes up to 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD.
Display is configured with a 16" Touch Screen WQXGA+ 3K (2880x1800) OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak HDR brightness of 1100 nits. The ZenBook A16 comes with an anti-scratch, anti-wear, smudge-free design with 6 speakers (Dolby Atmos). The system integrates a dual-fan lightweight thermal solution that is both silent and runs efficiently. The laptop weighs 1.2 Kgs on the baseline configuration.
IO options include a single USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, two USB 4.0 Type-C ports, a single HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and an SD 4.0 card reader. There's also WIFI7+BT5.4 support, an FHD camera with IR function. The battery is a 70Whr design and comes with a 130W Type-C AC Adapter.
In the official briefing, ASUS claimed that the ZenBook A16 is the "Fastest and Most Powerful" Snapdragon laptop, offering 21+ hours of video playback, and sipping in 10-20% lower power than the previous-gen Snapdragon X Elite offerings.
ASUS ZenBook A14 Qualcomm 2026
The ASUS ZenBook A14 retains the same Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme "X2E88100" chip with 18 cores, and falls under the 18" form factor. For this laptop, ASUS is once again using its Ceraluminum design with a Magnesium Aluminum-based material for the chassis, and a Zabriskie Beige / Iceland Gray color scheme.
The memory configuration is changed to either 24 GB or 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory, and storage configs come in 512 GB or 1 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The A14 features the ASUS Lumina OLED technology with a 14" OLED panel offering a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 600 nits of peak HDR brightness.
IO includes two USB 4.0 Type-C ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, 1 HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. There's also WIFI7+BT5.4 along with a high-fidelity sound system (Dolby Atmos). The internal structure is cooled by two lightweight fans. ASUS's ZenBook A14 weighs 2.18 lbs or under 1 Kgs while retaining a 0.53-0.63" thickness.
ASUS ProArt PZ14 Qualcomm 2026
ASUS is also introducing its brand new content-creator and pro-focused Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme laptop, the ProArt PZ14.
This laptop features up to 18 cores and has a super slim and lightweight design in a 14" chassis. The Pro Art PZ14 is just 9.0mm thin and weighs 0.79 Kgs for the base configuration. The laptop is also IP52 certified, which means that it's both Water & Dust Resistant. The laptop operates at a 25W TDP while offering efficient performance. Other highlights include its dual speaker setup, 8M IR camera, and a 13M 4K resolution rear camera.
As for memory, the laptop comes configured with up to 32 GB of LPDDR5x, and storage includes up to 1 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD. Display on the laptop is ASUS's Lumina Pro OLED, which is a 14" OLED panel with a 3K resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 144Hz refresh rate, and up to 1000 nits of peak HDR brightness.
IO on the ASUS ProArt PZ14 includes two USB 4.0 Type-C ports and an SD card reader. The laptop is also usable with ASUS's Pen 3.0 stylus and comes with a load of additional accessories, including a Bluetooth keyboard, cover stand, ProArt Mouse, and carry bag, all of which are sold separately. There's also Wi-Fi 7 and BT 5.4 support.
ASUS VivoBook S16 & VivoBook 16 Qualcomm 2026
ASUS will also be introducing the everyday use VivoBook S16 and VivoBook 16 series, powered by the same Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs. The S16 is 1.59cm thin and weighs 1.74 Kgs for the starting config.
Display on the VivoBook S16 can be a 2.5K IPS or WUXGA OLED panel with a three-sided NanoEdge design. Other specs include up to 32 GB of LPDDR5x memory, up to 1 TB of PCIe 4.0 x4 storage, Wi-Fi 7, dual USB4 ports, dual USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, a single HDMI output, and an audio jack.
The laptop comes with a 70Whr battery and ships with a 68W USB Type-C AC Adapter. Color options include Mist Blue and Matte Gray.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
